To the Friends
by BisousBisous
Summary: A revised version of the original, this tale follows Aloisia Kleber and the pandemonium that enters her life when fate forces her to cross paths with the pleasant, reserved young vampire, Guillaume Marcel and his troubled confidant, Dirk Teglas. In an effort to rescue her best friend, Lou must first confront the demons that hinder her path towards inner solitude.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

* * *

When I was fourteen and blonde, I thought I knew how my life was going to end.

That evening, I was frozen in place with the tip of a kitchen knife poking the back of my back. There was no one in the small park to witness my assault. His gruff voice had scared my own into an inconvenient silence and demanded that I walk into the dense collection of trees where he forced me to watch him touch himself and groan and roll his eyes and repeatedly lick his lower lip. He let me go afterward.

He didn't have threaten me to get me not to tell anyone. He knew I wasn't going to say anything.

My life after that day straddled between extreme mediocracy and great tragedy. Every day I walked without purpose, hoping that someone might stop me and push me toward the right path. It never happened. Then I figured that I was just wasting time, air and a decent life.

So as I laid there in between them–between Guillaume and Dirk, two boys who dragged me into their world with my consent, I wondered why over and over. I'd finally found my place. Why take me away from it now? Why?

Blood oozed from our wounds, and worked together to stain the cold stone beneath us. I mustered enough strength to raise my head slightly, look in Guillaume's direction and whimper at the deep cut from his left brow, across the straight bridge of his nose down to the corner of his sturdy jaw. When I looked Dirk's way, I could not see his face. His head was turned away from me, but I cringed at the dried blood that trailed from his ears. I closed my eyes. I was in pain. I was tired. The cold at least made my body numb, but it wasn't enough.

A sudden wetness rubbing against my cheek forced me to open them again, and they were met with crisp, bright blue ones. I was not alarmed by the great white wolf who towered over my body but instead I was relived. I let him grabbed the fabric of my coat between his sharp teeth, and drag me from the cell where we were thrown into after met our downfall.

I could no longer see the boys for I closed my eyes again, my consciousness fading. I wondered where I would be when I opened them again. I hoped it wouldn't be in the Beyond.


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

* * *

She finally decided that she did like her new haircut. She tucked one side of shiny dark strands behind her ear and raked her slim fingers through the other. She was standing in front of the mirror a little bit too long. Her foggy eyes were beginning to pay too much attention to those dreadful freckles that was spilled across the bridge of her nose, and they were too aware of the red blemish along her jawline. Stout, glossy and glittery lips pulled back into a brief frustrated snare.

A soft knock at her door drew her attention away from her flaws.

Masako Kleber poked her small head in her daughter's bedroom, "Lulu let's go! You're going to be late." She looked at her wrist, "You're already late actually."

Lou slipped on her school's thick navy blue cardigan and returned to her reflection. She neatly tucked her white oxford shirt collar beneath the lining of her sweater. "I've got first and second free," she explained with her eyes trained on the conservative length of her pleated skirt. She flipped the waist band twice, pulling the skirt's lining above her knees. "But, I'm about to leave anyway," she continued.

"Ah…all right then. I'm taking your sister up the block. What time is your party tonight?"

Though she tried to prevent it, a small smile curved her lips. "I'll probably leave around eight or nine or ten? I don't know."

"Doesn't matter. I'll see you before you go. Have a wonderful day baby." Masako blew a kiss from her aged, thin lips. She left Lou's door open letting her daughter hear her hustle six year old Lore out of the living room.

Lou slipped on her black loafers and her backpack. She picked up a pack of peppermint gum, scanned the room for her cell phone, which was resting on her dresser, and turned off her bedroom lights. Her bed was unmade. Yesterday's outfit was strewn across her beanbag chair, and residue from her cigarette ashes stained her wooden desk.

She crossed Lore's path in the kitchen. Lore was very small for her age. Light brown curls crowded above her large blue eyes. She too suffered from having pale brown freckles dotted across her round nose. Lore looked up at Lou and grinned.

"Ready for school?" Lou looked down and asked. Lore didn't respond but she did nod her head vibrantly. Curls bounced wildly, cruelly reminding Lou of her natural hair texture. She smiled at her baby sister and lightly pinched her cheeks. She grabbed a green apple from the basket and headed towards the coat closet that was near the front door of the apartment where she took out her grey peacoat.

"Bye guys! I'll see you later!" She didn't wait for their responses either. The apple was wedged between her teeth as she multitasked shrugging into her coat and rummaging for her phone which continuously vibrated like a nagging toddler. Her apple and books nearly kissed the cheap tiles of the hallway by the time she got the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" she breathed into to phone. Her index finger rapidly pressed the elevator call button.

"I called you earlier, bitch. Why didn't you answer?"

"Good morning Dayo."

"Good morning, bitch. I'm downstairs."

"I know, I know," cried Lou. "I'm getting on the elevator now," she explained as the heavy metal doors slid open. She quietly whispered 'good morning' to the petite blonde with a tiny white dog in her arm. On her way down from the seventh floor, she lost signal. She sighed, adjusted the straps of her black book bag and managed to properly organize herself. Awkward Eye contact with the woman beside her was avoided successfully as she scrolled through mediocre status updates from bored technologically invested teenagers. High pitched squeaks were blown through her teeth resting against her lower lip. It was going to be a long day, but it was going to end with her being half-white, half-Asian girl wasted.

Dayo was walking in circles outside of Lou's apartment building. She was shorter than Lou, but it wasn't drastic. Lou wasn't exactly tall either, but she wasn't painfully short as her friend, Nia would describe it being. Dayo's hair was a dark afro composed of spiral curls and frizzy stands. Some of her ends were dyed a silvery platinum blonde. Sometimes she straightened it, but Lou didn't like it when she did. It didn't seem to fit her untamable, liberated soul. It still looked good because everything Diana Toure did was almost perfect. Her skin was a sweet and soft deep brown that made all colors seem vibrant.

She grinned at Lou. Lately all she did was smile. She finally got her braces removed right before school started in September. They started to walk down the down the block, heading towards the 2 train.

"Sup?" She removed slipped her headphones from her ears. She started to let them rest on her neck before she just put them away in her bag. "What did you do last night?"

"My mom took us out to eat with my grandparents and Dave," Lou shrugged. Dave was her mother's new boyfriend who she adored, and she appreciated his effort to laugh at her awful jokes. Lou's birthday was really on Thursday. Originally she was going to see a movie with her friends, but then she realized that she was eighteen and that birthdays spent at movies were for middle school students who say, 'lolz.' After a few turns and street crossings, they entered the Chambers Street station.

"Do you know who's coming tonight?" Lou asked Dayo. She leaned against green beams on the platform with the Chambers Street sign plastered on it. They only had to wait three minutes for the train.

Dayo's mouth pensively twisted to one side of face. She shrugged, but she figured she knew exactly who Lou was talking about. "I don't know if Geta will be there. I doubt he will, but don't hold me too it."

Lou bitterly nodded. For some reason during her turbulent relationship with Geta Karaduman, he was never around, driving them painfully apart, but now that they were broken up, he was always around making her teeth grit, her heart race and mind convoluted. Lou still liked him. Even his adulterous betrayal couldn't make her feelings for him fade. It made being around him several times harder than it should have been.

"Don't worry about him. You're too concerned. He cheated. He humiliated you. You cried…for a long time. A really long time, but now it's done."

"Oh c'mon," Lou groaned. "It's not that simple."

"It is," Dayo insisted. "Especially since you got Marc Klein looking at you."

"But I don't like Marc Klein. Marc Klein is an asshole. Marc Klein says, 'dude' and 'bro' a little too much."

"Yeah I know but beggars can't be choosers," Dayo grinned. Her sarcasm was flawless and a stark reflection of her brilliance. She began to laugh a bit especially when Lou cracked a small smile.

"I'm not begging for a relationship. Not after that one."

"Aren't you lonely though? I am. I can't stop thinking about having one. I want to have someone other than you to listen to my problems and then kiss my forehead after."

"If you just asked, I would've done it," Lou teased.

"Please," Dayo scoffed. "You don't even scratch my back when I ask you too."

"Whatever."

"But seriously, it's getting kind of annoying. Especially since everyones like, 'Oh Dayo, you're so beautiful,' 'Dayo why are you single?' 'Dayo I would totally date you if I was single.' I don't understand. I want to be loved. I want to have sex. I just want a boyfriend."

Lou nodded, understanding her best friend's social strife. The metallic train loudly rolled into the station. The pair stepped to the side allowing people on board to smoothly exit before they rushed for the handicapped seats.

"Maybe," Lou began. "Maybe it's like weed or something. You desperately want to try it, and then when you do, you realize it isn't that great and your itching to move on to something new."

"That's an awful example," Dayo, a professional smoker protested.

Lou laughed. "I don't know what to tell you. I mean you've never had a boyfriend so…"

"I know. I mean I guess you're right," Dayo shrugged. "You know what's weird? Sometimes I don't feel like I deserve one. Like I want to have one, but then I'm scared of it actually happening. For some reason, I care about how others will perceive us. Like when we look at couples and wonder what he's doing with her, or what she's doing with him. I don't want that."

Lou, at first said nothing. She was carefully choosing the right words to say next. "Fortunately you don't even care what other people think. You're just so into him that it's sickening. Sometimes I would just look at Geta when he was concentrating on something else, and smile. I was so happy. People think relationships are easy but Dayo they're not. You're stripping away the image that you've crafted to protect your vulnerability just to make things work."

It was then Dayo's turn to nod and understand. She smiled at Lou, her dimples sinking into her plump cheeks. "Well said future English major."

"Yeah sure. Did you guys buy the bottles?" Lou asked.

"Of course. I do not want to remember this night," Dayo confessed. "I am going to get seriously shitfaced."

"Well, that's nothing new."

* * *

Despite getting to school early, Lou strolled into her American history class late. She hated the course, she hated the teacher and she hated how close to Geta she had to sit. She ignored Mrs. Truby's typical nagging and Geta's raised brows as she walked to the back of the room and sat in her desk which was in front of his. As she bent down to take out her notebook, she felt him poke her back with his pencil. She paused briefly, but didn't respond. For some reason he took that as an invitation to lean forward and whisper in her ear.

"I got invited to your party. If you don't want me to come, then I won't." His voice was kind and earnest, because that's all he really was and that infuriated her.

"I don't care what you do," she replied louder than she should have.

"Aloisia you already disrupted me by coming in late. I really don't need to hear you talking," Mrs. Truby announced firmly. Lou looked down and rolled her eyes. She started to focus on her lesson to ward off the negativity that began to plague her morning. It was bad enough she had to even be in school.

She quietly suffered through her next four classes. She waited at her locker for her friends. They were going to go to Chipotle for lunch; Lou thanked God for having an open campus. She hated mozzarella sticks. She wondered why that was even lunch. Dayo was the first to show with her black puffa jacket. She told Lou that T.K. and Jules would meet them there.

They met the boys outside smoking with their coats unzipped and white shirts untucked in their pants.

"Sup, girlie?" T.K. swept Lou in a one armed hug. Troy Killbourne was tall and slender. His blond hair did what it wanted and his thin brown eyes always looked directly into the eyes of others. He usually smelled like cigarettes and heavy cologne. Sometimes he went to class, and when he did, he did nothing. His friends still didn't know how he was graduating ranked number 30 out of 230 seniors. His parents were from New Zealand and he was civil towards his younger brothers, Noah and Lucas.

Julian Grimes has been his best friend since middle school. Julian, like Troy is tall but looked stronger. His skin was a light, reddish brown just like his eyes which were usually trained on Dayo. His close cut hair was a natural mesh between orange and brown. He had random freckles splattered across his face. He also had large front teeth that rested on his lower lip.

Together T.K. and Jules watched Dragon Ball Z online, listed to Earl Sweatshirt and daydreamed about inserting their penises in Rihanna. They were always with each other, which prompted Lou to joked about them jerking off together. They never denied it either.

"What'd you do for your birthday, Lulu?" Jules slung his arm around her shoulder.

"Just went out to eat with the fam," she smiled looking up at him.

"Cool, cool," he said. The line was terribly long. Lou turned to Dayo, "You know what Geta said to me?"

"What?" She asked struggling to grab her phone from T.K. She eventually punched his stomach and plucked it from his hand.

"He was like, 'if you don't want me to go to your party then I won't.'" She lowered her voice to emulate his masculine one.

"And what did you say?"

"I said that I didn't care."

"But you do care."

"Yes, but I don't want him to know that I do."

"How the hell do you girls come up with such shit?" T.K. interjected.

"Oh please boy, I listen to you two all the time. Y'all are no better," Dayo narrowed her eyes.

"Who cares if he's there," said T.K. "He won't even come. Geta's a pussy and you know it."

"He's not a pussy," Lou furrowed her brows.

"Why are you even defending him? He cheated on you with that mute bitch," T.K. challenged.

"Kore isn't mute," Lou snapped. "But she is a bitch."

T.K. rested a heavy hand on her shoulder, "Listen babe, he doesn't give a fuck about you. It's time to move on. Marc Klein wants you anyway. He's always talking about your ass."

"Oh shut up!"

"I'm just trying to help you out" T.K. shrugged. Jules and Dayo used their hands to stifle their amusement.

"I just broke up with him. You guys aren't giving me enough time to heal."

"We're trying to speed up the process," said Jules. Dayo, whose back was turned away from the group as she ordered her food, briefly faced them and nodded in agreement.

"I know, I know. Thanks." Lou shook her head. "Look tonight is going to so fucking bomb that he won't even matter." She smiled excitedly at her close friends, who all rolled their eyes.

She really meant it.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Her bandaged fingers caressed the small glass amulet around his neck. It was a deep blue color with a white tear drop shape around a light blue circle and a black dot at its center. A careful smile stretched across her lips.

School was finished. She took time to admire his smooth olive skin and the black beauty mark beneath his lip. Long black lashes kissed his high cheeks every time he blinked. When she looked up at him, her smile quickly vanished. Geta Karaduman's pale blue eyes were trained elsewhere. Bitterly she reached up and tucked a loose black curl behind his ear. She didn't have to follow his gaze to know exactly who he was looking at. It was her, because it was always her.

Kore sighed, "You're not thinking about going to her party are you?" Her voice was very low and void of any hint of her jealousy. Geta couldn't stand that about Kore. He didn't like how well she could read him, but he couldn't read her. Her presence often left him unnerved, and there was nothing he could do about it. His hand clasped around her wrist and removed it from his amulet.

"Why do you care?" He said without looking her in her eyes like how she was deliberately looking into his.

"Because Geta, she has you all messed up, and this is the month that you need to focus. Halloween is in two weeks."

"You don't have to lecture me. I know."

"No, you don't know Geta. I've been watching you follow her around like a pathetic horny mutt. It's ridiculous." Kore shoved a hand in her cloud of dark red curls. "I'm just worried about you that's all."

"Please don't Kore. Please don't." He looked at her then. He made sure he really looked at her, making sure that she understood that he didn't want to be near her. He knew, however, that his effort to scare her into obeying him wouldn't work. They were partners and it was her birthright to look out for him. It was her birthright to make sure he kept good company and that nothing would interfere with the life he was destined to live.

"She doesn't love you anymore. You know why. You know what you did," said Kore. She clutched her folder closer to her chest. Finally she slid her eyes in her direction. She watched the tramp laugh and shrug into her coat. She was with that girl, Diana who was mocking some stupid dance.

"You know what you did Geta," she said again. "Don't go to that party." She didn't wait for him to respond. She adjusted the strap of her handbag on her thin shoulder. She started to walk away but then she realized he wasn't following her.

"Come on. We've got training."

And he followed, because he had no choice. He never had a choice.

* * *

By five Lou was already dressed in the outfit she put out for the kickback. She was sprawled out on her bed. She wore an off shoulder black long sleeved shirt and high waisted blue skinny jeans. Part of her long silence was spent deciding whether she should wear black heels or short white Chuck Taylor's. Then she thought about walking through Manhattan terribly drunk, in heels and immediately decided against it.

Sometimes she looked through her phone for texts even though she knew she didn't receive any. She tossed it across her bed, far from her reach. She went online. She perused her Tumblr and reblogged pretentious photos uploaded by pretentious people. She considered starting her homework but she remembered that she was more of a last minute kind of girl.

She pushed herself off of her bed. With a book in hand she decided to check up on Lore who was watching cartoons in the living room. Her apartment wasn't very big, but overpriced, like all apartments in Manhattan. It was still pleasant since her mother had a great sense of style. The walls of her living room were painted a very warm olive green, and complimented by a mint colored couch and various paintings. Lore sat on the white fuzzy carpet right in front of the flatscreen television before Lou grabbed her underneath her arms and dragged her backwards.

"Don't sit so close. You'll die," Lou warned her. Lore scooted back to her former position, however. She was quite used to her older sister's warnings ending in her death and was starting to see past her threats.

Lou shrugged. She didn't have the energy to argue with the curly haired brat, nor did she really care. She briefly went into the kitchen to get a glass of cranberry juice. When she returned to the couch, she rested it upon the small black table adjacent too it. Her eyes briefly glanced at the portrait of a handsome brown haired man, with determined foggy colored eyes and full lips pulled into a grateful smile. Her father.

It was strange how numb she felt whenever she looked at his picture. It's been five years, and after five years she still could not believe that June 21st was the last time she'd ever hear him say her name. Michael Kleber was a wonderful memory that invaded Lou's thoughts when she didn't want them too. His warmth, his kindness and his patience sometimes paralyzed her. For what reason was he taken from her? She didn't know. She didn't understand why some had to suffer more than others. She didn't understand why she was chosen to live without her father. It wasn't right.

Directed her attention back to Johnny Test, and simultaneously wondered what happened to the quality of children's television. Did they just find people on the street, ask if they could like write a bit, and then hire them to create such horrid entertainment?

"You know the cartoons I watched when I was your age were much better. I feel sorry for you," Lou goaded.

"Shut up!" Lore hissed. She bared her teeth which were very small and spread out. Lou rolled her eyes. She couldn't wait until she could have a civilized conversation with that child. Lore was actually bright. She has displayed her potential several times, like when their mom passed out, she knew who to call and how to direct them to their apartment. Lou was certain that she would curl into a ball and start crying at her age. She was naturally a helpless person.

Their front door began to jiggle. It was their mom. Lou started to get up to help her with the lock, but her mother was already bursting through the door with two Whole Foods bags in her hand. Her mother walked right into the kitchen, and dropped the groceries on the countertop.

"Hi, guys!" Masako took a deep breath, and plucked a stray black strand from her mouth. Masako was a number of things. She was quite petite. She was also an insightful and progressive Japanese-American woman who knew how to speak her native tongue, English, German, and Arabic. She had four master's degrees, and planned on getting a PhD. During the week she was a director of Human Resources at a hospital in Brooklyn. On the weekends, she constantly knit cute scarfs, hats and gloves which she sold to her co-workers and Lou was closer to her father, she did appreciate her mother. When their mother brought home Dave last year, they were elated. She deserved to share her heart with another man. Lou knew how much pain her mother was in after losing her first husband. She knew.

"What time are you leaving again Lulu?"

"Um. In like two hours maybe."

"Are you drinking tonight?" Masako started putting groceries in the fridge.

"Is that even a question?" Lou grinned mischievously.

"Just be careful. Don't over do it."

"I won't."

"Oh!" Her mother suddenly exclaimed. "Guess who I just saw?"

"Who?" Lou asked, not particularly interested. It was usually some old person who she met once.

"Geta! He was downstairs. I think he's still there. He didn't notice me because he was on the phone. He might of been trying to call you."

Lou stared at her mother for a moment. Her lips were slightly parted, her brows were raised inquisitively and her muscles became very stiff. Without a word she jumped to her feet and headed towards her bedroom. She climbed over her bed, jumping over the edge just to get to her window which had a view of the street in front of her building. When she looked down, he was still there. She retracted her head before he would look up and notice her.

She didn't know what she should feel. Angry or quietly pleased. She was certain that her nerves suddenly began unraveled. What the hell did he want?

The screen of her phone beamed to life. Slowly she approached it as if she were approaching a bomb. There was a number at the top. Even though she deleted his number from her phone, she still knew it by heart.

She answered it. "Hello?"  
The first sound she heard was his breath catch. "Uh…hey."

"What do you want?" she asked, but it didn't sound as forceful as she wanted it too.

"I–" He cleared his throat. "I got something for you. I'm downstairs."

"I know." She took a deep breath, "I'm coming down." She rushed to put on her sneakers and pulled out a thick beige sweater from her closet. Quickly she walked down the short hall into the kitchen-living room area. Her mother had her cutting board out and was chopping the vegetables she bought earlier.

"Tell him I said hi," Her mother waved her knife at Lou.

"No problem," she said as she closed the front door behind her. She never told her mother why she and Geta broke up. Her mother really liked him, and she didn't feel it was fair to subject Geta to her mother's hidden fury.

She pressed the call button more than she should have. She looked at her phone and noticed that he'd called her five times. The elevator finally arrived after a high pitched ping. The ride down was tortuous. She fidgeted, thinking of how she should act and what she should say. Her hands were shaking. That's what he did to her. He made her crazy. She was going to use this opportunity to finally put an end too their relationship. At least that was plan.

Dark haired Geta was sitting on the bench outside the pizzeria across the street. She looked both ways before she rushed across the street to join him. His black parka was pulled open. His head was bowed. His arms were resting on his knees with his hands clasped. A small blue bag with sprouting, white tissue paper rested beside him.

This particular Autumn Friday was a cold one. It was a crisp and dry warning of the winter that was on its way and It was quite clear that it wasn't going to be an easy one. The sun was beginning to retreat behind Manhattan's urban horizon; it was making outside a light color between indigo and violet.

"Geta," she said. He looked up at her through his curls. He immediately stood, instantly towering over her. He shoved his hands in his black soccer pants and bowed his head.

"Hey," he said. They just stared at each other for a moment. Puffs of condensed air left their mouths. She wedged her lower lip between her teeth, unsure of what to do or say. She had no emotions to rely on, because she didn't know what she was feeling at all. She spent most of her life laughing at the angst of her peers. It certainly didn't feel good to be the subject of your former amusement.

"Maybe we should go for a walk," she suggested while stepping out of an older man's way.

"I can't." His brows furrowed, "I'm supposed to be home in twenty minutes." Geta needed a little more than twenty minutes to get to his condo on Roosevelt Island from her downtown apartment.

"We really need to talk Geta," she insisted.

"I know. I know," he nodded defeatedly. "Can we talk tonight?"

"Are you sure you want to talk to me when I probably can't see straight?"

He looked away and sighed. "I came here to give this too you. I bought it for you during the summer…I still think you should have it." He reached behind him for the bag and handed it too her. She took it without reluctance.

"You need to stop doing this Geta," she said in a pleading tone. "You messed up. You finding ways to force me to forgive you isn't helping. I refuse. You can't keep doing this."

"Well, you never even asked me what happened. I just want you to ask me what happened."

"I don't have too!" she cried. "I saw! I walked in on you and Kore. I know what sex looks like Geta. I've known ever since my mom gave me that book on periods!"

His eyes narrowed, for he was taken aback by her strange confession. He almost wanted to laugh, because it was a very Lou-like statement. It reminded him of her strange humor and her inability to think before she spoke.

"Aloe," he called her by the name he dubbed for her. "Aloe please. Please give me a chance. Tonight. Let's talk tonight. It won't matter if your drunk or not. It might make it easier if you are. The truth tends to slip out after a few shots."

She sighed, "Fine."

Reluctantly, his hand rose with intensions of resting on her cheek. Instead he settled for a platonic squeezing of her shoulder, which she surprisingly allowed. To maintain her anger, she shrugged his hand off, but not after a few seconds of enjoying his touch. It was moments as such when Lou wished she was Robin Wittrock, the girl who was hosting her party. Robin with her buzz cut hair and sultry shaped brown eyes would not allow a boy to drive her mad. She would flip him off, or shave his brow while he slept. She would do something to show that she was angry. She would viciously seek revenge on those who did her wrong, but what did Lou do?

Lou did nothing, because that's what she always did.

* * *

About three hours after Geta presented Lou with her gift, she got a text from Dayo, saying that she was on her way. She was temporarily home alone in the apartment; Lore pleaded with her mother to get some frozen yogurt. The girl was very persuasive. Lou silently envied her sister's skill.

The city of lights was shrouded in darkness; Manhattan had finally sprung to life. Her transparent white curtains bounced as a breeze pushed itself through her window. She changed her outfit three times before reverting to her original choice.

She was standing in front of her bathroom mirror, struggling hard to keep the wings of her eyeliner symmetrical. She, at first, couldn't decide what lipstick to wear. She eventually settled on a neutral, matte, pale pink color.

Lou knew she looked good. She verified her self-confidence with a smile and wink. She went back to her room to find earrings to wear and to make sure she was certain that she wanted to wear the outfit she wore. She already unwrapped Geta's gift. Three bangles wrapped in bright patterned cloth. She recalled pointing them out to him when they went shopping one weekend. She contemplated giving them to Dayo. Afterward she went into the living room to watch TV while she waited for Dayo to call which she did after fifteen minutes.

"I'm coming," Lou told her when she answered her phone.

She rushed to find her keys, some cash and switch the lights off. She slipped on her black jacket and headed outside to meet a tipsy Dayo. Her friend said nothing at first, and presented Lou with a water bottle that was nearly empty. Lou knew was a shot of pure vodka. She finished it in one gulp. It burned as it traveled down her throat. Her face scrounged up.

"Bleh," she stuck out her tongue to get rid of the horrid taste of liquor.

"We're 'bout to get fucked up," she cooed in Lou's ear.


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Lou should have known that Robin Wittrock didn't know how to through kickbacks, she only knew how to throw parties. A track from SBTRKT streamed throughout. Though people in Robin's Upper West townhouse were evenly dispersed, Lou could still tell that there were a lot of people. The majority of them went to St. Albans Prep. She recognized a few faces from Brooklyn Tech and LaGuardia High. Most people were too drunk to wish her a happy birthday, or recognize her. This was no longer her birthday party.

Lou Kleber knew exactly what she was doing. She strutted down the narrow hall towards the kitchen with a smirk drawn on her lips. She entered the kitchen where bottles of liquor were towered upon the granite countertop. Lou proceeded, without caution, to mix liquor and dilute it with a small amount of cranberry juice.

Dayo poured out shots for both of them. They interlocked their arms and tossed their head back, gradually easing into the vibes the dimly lit party produced. Lou felt someone's hand grasp her arm and turn her towards them. Marc Klein looked down at her through his loose light brown strands and his bloodshot blue eyes.

"Hey Lou," he breathed into her ear. "Sup bro? Happy birthday."

"Ah," Lou hesitated. "Thanks Marc." She pressed her hand against his wide chest as he tried to pull her closer.

"_C'mon_," he murmured. "Let me give you a birthday kiss."

"_Ah no_," she cried. She leaned away as he leaned forward. Even when under the influence, and her mind was cloudy with horny thoughts, she was still certain she didn't want to be kissed by Marc Klein. She didn't wait for anyone to step in and save her. She reached up, rested the palm of her hand against his face and pushed his head back. "No means _no_, Roman Polanski."

"Wha–" Marc furrowed his brows. She didn't stay to hear his rebuttal. She left to find her friends albeit not without refilling her cup. T.K., Jules, Dayo, Robin and her silver haired boyfriend Peter Royce were all in her living room, sitting in chairs arranged in a semi-circle, passing around a blunt. The Penis Twins pushed past her and took the last two seats. They weren't twins. They didn't give every boy in school a fellatio and they don't resemble a penis. Their secret nickname was a play on the inclusion of 'cock' in their name. Margot Hancock and Brittney Woodcock attempted to take a hit but Robin was sober enough called them out.

"You guys didn't pay. Bye!" She dismissed them with her hand. Without a word they stood up and left. Lou took her place in Margot's seat. Robin placed her chin in her hand and wiggled her fingers at Lou, "Hi, Birthday Girl."

Lou mimicked her gesture, "Hey girl!"

"Are you enjoying yourself?"

"So far, yes. Thank you!"

Lou asked T.K. if he had a cigarette. He did. Lou asked Jules if he had a lighter, and he did. She placed her outstretched legs on Brittney's former seat. She leaned her head back, lounging in her chair. She brought the cigarette to her lips and inhaled the toxins that destroyed lives every second around the world.

For a while Lou just drank and watched her friends play _Go Fish. _She decided to slow it down when she couldn't hold up her head without struggling. Boredom began to crawl in her head, urging her to get up and go elsewhere. She did not feel like mingling. All these kids were the same; they were a set of archetypes attempting to stray far away from the norm only to fall into another category of basic lost youths.

She asked T.K. for another smoke. After he handed her one, she got up and left. A thought streamed in her head. Suddenly all she wanted to do was be alone. She remembered how she and Robin used to play in the attic. There her parents had child proofed it. Up there, they used to wear Disney Princess dresses over their jeans. They would have little dinners with their American Girl dolls and emulate their mothers. Lou climbed the staircase with a bit difficulty. She held onto the railing and tried not to step on people sitting down, but sometimes she failed. Up stairs, she pretended that she did hear bed frames banging against the wall and rough groans behind closed doors. She would have been incredibly embarrassed at any other sober time.

Briefly she wondered if she were together with Geta, would they be having sex. She answered her internal inquiry; the answer was probably. Though a virgin, Lou thought nothing of it. She was ready to loose her virginity and she somehow blamed Tumblr for numbing her reaction towards it.

She walked up another flight. Along the wall, in the middle of the short hallway, which was embellished with photos that were most likely taken my Robin's mom and a narrow Persian carpet down its center, was a small closet. A swaying Lou opened it. She was slightly past being tipsy, but Lou was a functional drunk away.

She took out the ladder used to get to the hatch that led to the attic in the ceiling. She unfolded it. It was quite light and rickety, but she wasn't worried. She set it up beneath the hatch and began to climb. She unlocked it, and held onto the hatch door. Hunched before the closed hatch, she slowly pushed it open. When there was enough room, she pushed her head through. The lights were already on. Lou looked around.

She missed the couple at first, but her eyes were drawn back to them immediately after they left. She could only see the girl's body which was sprawled out. Her yellow haired male partner was hunched over her with his back facing Lou. He was holding her in his arms as his head seemed to be buried in the crook of her neck. The girl's long black hair spilled over his shoulder, covering her face completely.

Rolling her eyes Lou closed the hatch without making a sound. She locked it, and started to climb back down. She was almost off the ladder when she heard footsteps trample up the stairs, but she froze.

This young man was quite tall. He was whistling though his pink full lips. She couldn't see his eyes at first because they were covered by his thick, pale, wheat colored hair which couldn't decide if it wanted to wave or curl. He was well dressed in a thick black sweater and slim distressed jeans. When he was finally close, he looked up. His eyes, black as coal, widened. This boy was very handsome. He was also very different, and she had no idea how or why. His appearance seemed to sober her up immediately. His porcelain colored skin, curiously shaped brows, and his narrow eyes halted her breath.

"Oh, I would not go up there," he said. Though he seemed to be warning her, he wasn't fully invested in making his voice sound certain. It was very even and almost kind. It wasn't forceful yet it wasn't something that could be ignored. Lou realized that he believed that she was heading towards the attic. She let it stay that way.

"I already changed my mind," she said slowly. She hoped she wasn't slurring.

"Good," he said. His lips were neutrally set, leaving her uncertain of how he felt or what he was thinking. "Would you like me to help you?"

"Help me?" She tiled her head. She followed his brief glance towards the ladder. "Oh! If you don't mind. Thank you."

"I don't," he said walking towards her. Easily he closed, lifted and placed the ladder back in it's rightful place. She stood by, smiling softly with her hands clasped behind her back. She had no idea of what she should say, and she'd forgotten how to make basic conversation. She cleared her throat, "Thank you."

"Don't worry," he said. For the first time she noticed his strange pronunciation. He did have an accent, though faint, it was still there. She couldn't tell that it was a French one until he introduced himself. "My name is Guillaume, but I'm usually called Gill. It's the least embarrassing of all my nicknames."

"I'm Aloisia," she shook his hand. "Only teachers call me that. Everyone else either calls me Lou or Louie or Lulu. Take your pick."

He grinned, "I do like Lulu, but I think I'll call you Lou."

"It's nice to meet you," she said. "Where are you from?"

"Belgium."

"Oh wow. You know I've been there once when I was fourteen. It was very clean."

"Interesting. Today is your birthday?" he guessed. "This party is for you?"

"My birthday was actually yesterday, but yes…this party is for me."

"_Humph_." He smirked, "Happy birthday. Come, do you want to hang out with me? I managed to find a quiet place. I assume that's what you're looking for."

"Sure," Lou shrugged. Gill turned. He knocked on the door across from the closet. Lou recalled it being the study of Robin's mother. The door opened. Who ever opened it wasn't present behind the door. Lou and Gill stepped through. The study was warmly lit. The floor was carpeted. There was a grainy tan colored couch accompanied by two brown chairs. One of those chairs was occupied by a dark haired boy.

He was lounged in his seat with his long legs wide open and sprawled. He was sunken in his seat. His black hooded sweatshirt seemed to swallow him. When he looked at Lou with his weary, dark blue eyes, she smiled. He didn't return her smile with one of his own. In fact, he continued to stare her down with his wide and plump downturned lips. This boy had olive colored skin mixed with gold undertones. He drew back his hood, reveling a mass of curly dark hair that faded into a buzz cut. All he needed was a leather jacket and round dark shades and he would have resembled 90's Superboy. Gill filled the space beside Lou on the couch which faced his companion.

"This is Dirk," Gill said presenting his friend with his slender hands. "Dirk this is my new friend, Lou."

"Nice to meet you," she said.

"_Hmm_," Dirk groaned. "Of course." His voice was quite low and steady. His expressionless face intimidated her more than his collected beauty. She tried not to pay too much attention to it. Gill didn't seem to notice his friend's cold reception.

"You don't like your party?" Gill asked, his brows pinching inward with concern.

"It's just like any other party," she sighed. "All we do is get together and get drunk. No one really cares about it being my birthday. Robin–this is her house–she just needed an excuse to tell her mother."

"I see. So you are not happy then?" He leaned back into his chair.

"No, but I am hard to please," she confessed. "So what school do you guys go too? How do you know Robin?"

"Well," he cleared his throat. "We don't go to school."

"Oh," she said. "So you're home schooled then."

"Not anymore, but our parents managed to efficiently complete the required curriculum before we turned sixteen."

"How old are you now? I just turned 18. It's pretty cool, still can't hit the bars though, and you know what? I think that if I can get the death penalty, I should be able to order a margarita."

At this Gill grinned, "Clearly being underaged hasn't stopped you from drinking."

"Yeah well, sometimes you just want to do it in a bar and not in a park or your friend's shady basement."

"I understand," he said. "By the way, we're both 19."

"Oh, okay, that's cool. I usually have more to say but, I don't know. Not today."

"I believe you." The stare that followed after was one that Lou would not necessarily describe as comforting. Though brief, its intensity was undoubtable. She smiled nervously, and contemplated getting more to drink. Perhaps being less sober would make it easier to talk to a boy who was intimidatingly beautiful. She thought real hard about it. The biting of her bottom lip, the rubbing of her hands were all signs of her internal strife. She decided against it, in the end fearing that if she left, she would not be able to come up again.

"So," she began. "Did you say you knew Robin?"

"I didn't and I don't," said Gill.

"How'd you find about my party? Well, it's not really _my_ party. I suppose it's just _a _party."

"It's fine. Do you _really_ want to celebrate moving closer and closer to unhappiness and responsibility?"

Lou laughed. "I guess not."

"Well, I don't personally know this _Robin_ or anyone here for that matter. Myself and Dirk decided to accompany our friend here before boredom had its way with us."

"What's your friend's name?"

"Félix. He's got yellow hair and a tireless libido."

"You know how to get right to the point," she blinked.

"Why waste time?" Gill shrugged. "I'm afraid we've forgotten how…_lame_ these parties tend to be." Though she wasn't the one hosting it, Lou did feel a bit offended. It was a tingly feeling in the pit of her stomach that made her involuntarily frown. Of course Gill noticed. His brows raised, "You did say so yourself."

"I did," she nodded.

"It wasn't my intention to offend you," he said.

"I'm not!" She raised her arms defensively. "I guess you can say that I am a little disappointed myself. You should have seen me this morning. _This _was all I can think about. I even got ready at five. Now that I'm here I remember what its like. The fact that I _need_ to keep drinking to keep things exciting is…unnerving."

She was surprised when he grinned and lightly patted her hand. "You'll be alright. I'd say enjoy it while it lasts. That's what my grandfather always tells me. I know he's right, that's why I rarely call him. I can really only handle the truth twice a year."

She smiled, "What am I enjoying exactly?"

"Freedom."

"I'm not free?" She asked. She was surprised when Dirk snorted suddenly. He was so still, so quiet, so invisible that she nearly forgotten that he was there. She stared at him expecting him to explain his wordless interjection, but he didn't. He wouldn't even look at her. His gaze was awarded to the life that existed beyond the window. She looked at Gill figuring that he would speak for his friend but he didn't. Instead he shrugged and maintained the pleasant smile that didn't exactly convey that he was content. She couldn't think of an adjective that would describe it either.

Gill shifted slightly. "When you think about it, no one is free, but that's a discussion meant for another, more _sober_ night."

"Sorry," her eyes lowered. "Do you live in Manhattan?"

"I don't. We live on Long Island."

"That's pretty far. My granny actually lives out there…in Nassau County."

"Ah, well we live in Suffolk. A dreadful place really; a great hive for radical conservatism. But its isolation attracted my father. We do own property in Manhattan though."

_Oh,_ thought Lou. "You dad doesn't like the city life?"

"No, he doesn't. I don't think he wants to be here. _I _don't want to be here, but such is life."

Her brows creased empathetically. "I would ask why, but that would be a silly question."

He smiled. "Why is it a silly question?"

"This place _is _dreadful. There's too many pretentious people in one place. Nothing but a…a bunch of freaks who a scrambling for some dream that doesn't exist. I'd isolate myself too," she sighed.

Finally, Dirk popped his mouth from under his sweater and sat up, "What's stopping you?" It was quite strange to hear him speak . She noticed that his accent was much stronger than Gill's but it did not hinder his words from being clear.  
"My circumstances," she said with her eyes widened. "I can't just leave my family. I haven't got any money either."

"You'll have to leave them eventually," said Dirk. "What does it matter when you do? If you miraculously had the money would you leave? Would you run away?"

"Is that what it is? Running away?" she asked.

"Isn't it?"

"I'd say it depends," said Gill.

"Perhaps," Dirk shrugged.

"I'd do it," Lou said at last. "I've never said this to anyone, but I…I think I'm not going to last much longer." She had more to say but she was too stunned to continue. This thought wasn't a young one. It haunted her for several nights, but saying it out loud added weight to it.

"I hope you aren't implying what I think you are," Gill said quietly.

"I'm not," she replied. She couldn't bring herself to look at either of them after her confession. She wondered why she felt compelled to tell two strangers one of her greatest secrets. Perhaps it was the alcohol, perhaps it was that she believed that she'd never see them again. "I'm too much of a coward to do anything like that. I'm just saying that someone would recognize that I'm worthless and just–"

"It's an ugly thing your saying," Gill interrupted. "Where do you all come up with this…self-hate?"

"It's very simple when you live in a world like this." She slouched in her chair, "I don't hate myself…I'm not exactly comfortable where I am."

"Lou, I've just met you only a short while. I can already tell that you're worth more than you think, but you shouldn't depend on me to tell you that. You shouldn't depend on anyone," Gill said with a frown.

"Thank you, Gill." She gasped, "I can't believe I said all of that. I must have killed your mood. I'm sorry."

"My mood has been killed since I was five," he shrugged. "I think it was brave of you to let us see a vulnerable part of you, even though you don't know us."

"Well, my mom has always said something about complete strangers having that ability to change your life."

"I hope I did," said Gill. "A beautiful girl like you shouldn't have thoughts like that."

She blushed, "I'm a human being. We're all fucked up like this."

His brows raised, as if he were surprised to hear her swear. "Maybe," he said after a while.

"All this serious talk has frightened me a bit," she said. "Maybe I should get us drinks."

"I don't drink, but thanks," said Gill.

"Oh. Then never mind."  
"Don't let me prevent you from reaching _Nirvana_. Is that what alcohol's for?"

"I don't think so," she said slowly.

"Shame. Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Where are you from? I mean, where are your parents from?"

"My mother's Japanese. She was born there, but her parents moved to California when she was two. She went to school here at Columbia and then studied abroad in Switzerland where she met my father."

"Your father is Swiss?"

"Yes."

"Very interesting. So can you speak French or Italian or _Schweizerdeutsch_?"

"I know a little French from school–don't start speaking it, I won't understand–I know a little Swiss German. Just a little. A very, very small portion. I can ask where the bathroom is but I won't understand how to get there."

Smiling Gill said, "I see. What do your parents do?"

"My mom works at a hospital. My father is dead."

"Your father is dead," Gill repeated. "I'm very sorry."

"Maybe you understand why I am quite gloomy."

"I don't think so," Gill said. "I think you're just being honest." At this she smiled. She had enough confidence to pull out her cell. First, she pretended to check for missing texts or notifications on Facebook or Instagram. All she really wanted to do was ask him for his number, but she thought that would be a rather crass thing to do.

"Oh," he said. "You wouldn't mind if I took your number?"

"No, I wouldn't." She tried to remain cool, but she was certain her face betrayed her. She told him her number. He didn't attempt to take out his own phone and add it, or write it down on the notepad placed on the coffee table in front of them. He just nodded and smiled the same smile that was both pleasant and unnerving. She said nothing. She just looked away and rested her head against the cushions.

The door to the study burst open. Robin, Dayo and another girl named Laura leaned through the doorway. Like a turtle, Dirk seemed to sink into the shell of is sweater. Gill frowned, but it didn't last very long.

Dayo stumbled in. She tried to get around the coffee table efficiently, but the amount of alcohol in her system made that impossible. She accepted the pain she received from hitting her shin against the edge of the table, and dropped on her body onto Lou. "I've been looking for you everywhere!" she yelled at Lou. "You're a piece of shit! I kidding! I'm not kidding. I love you. Where were you? Oh you're here. I mean, why'd you leave?"

Robin and Laura didn't bother to walk in. Laura walked away. Before Robin left as well she stared at the two strangers who had invaded her mother's study. She wasn't vexed, she didn't ask them to leave. Instead she smiled. Lou thought that if Gill hadn't been so attractive, Robin would've kicked him out her house. Beautiful people got what they wanted, she remembered. They got things they didn't even ask for like free pizza.

She gently pushed Dayo off of her and shuffled closer to Gill. "You're so gone," she told Dayo, who was quick to deny it.

"I'm not," she said. "I'm just having a good time. We're all having a good time here. Aren't you having a good time?" she asked Gill. She didn't wait for him to answer. "You're really cute. I would kiss you, but I think Lou wants to kiss you too, so I'm not going to do that to my friend. I'm actually a really good friend to Lou. Her ex was a real asshole to her. He cheated on her with some weird Russian bitch who doesn't like vodka. Don't–don't all Russian's drink that? Isn't that like they're national drink. I'm just joking. Not about the bitch part, I mean the vodka."

Lou stared at Dayo with her brows furrowed and her mouth wide open. Dayo's rambling had sobered her up even more than she wanted. She grabbed Dayo her shoulders and hissed, "Please, stop talking." When she looked back at Gill she saw that he was beyond amused. His lips were parted, showing his shiny straight teeth. His eyelids pinched close together as he laughed. His amusement was extended to Dirk, who quietly grinned.

Dayo grumbled and pouted. She frowned, "Ugh, Lulu I don't feel good."

"Oh, no," Lou groaned. She began to stand. She grabbed Dayo's arm and tried to pull up her up. An intoxicated Dayo was just dead weight. She had no intensions of getting up. She just groaned and tried to curl up in a ball.

"_Uh _everything's spinning!" She cried. "Lulu help me!"

"I'm trying. Get up! _Get–" _She was interrupted by the harsh sound of Dayo throwing up all over the couch, and eventually across Gill's lap. Lou stared, horrified for both Gill and Dayo and even for herself. All she could do was look at him. He initially appeared calm and accepting of the clear vomit on his jeans, but Lou couldn't help but she a glint of red that ran through his eyes. She saw his jaw tighten.

"Gill, are you all right? I'm so sorry. She's so sorry!"

"It's fine," he said. "It's fine. I'm not dead, right?" Then he smiled, but Lou was certain that Dayo would be the dead one if Robin were to find out. Lou, for a second, paced. "Wait here," she said. Gill was already standing. He was hunched over Dayo with his hand gently pressed against her neck. Before Lou slipped out, she watched how Dirk's eyes were narrowed with weariness. She ignored him however and rushed to the door with the intensions of getting paper towels from the bathroom.

She opened it. She smacked right into someone's hard chest. She already knew who it was before she looked up. Geta. She looked up at the Turkish boy and sighed. She opened her mouth to address the surprised look that widened his eyes, but hers flickered over to his companion, Kore Kirov.

If the tint of the white bulb could be changed to red, it would have efficiently conveyed the angry thoughts that rushed into Lou's head. She pushed past Geta. "Excuse me," she muttered hoarsely. Even he called after her, she didn't look back.

She wasn't going to look back anymore.


End file.
